Ultrasonic cavitation in the GTA?

M

MagicMark

Member
I'm looking to have a couple of pistons, cylinder heads and valves thrown into a ultrasonic cleaner for carbon removal. I'm hoping someone here knows a shop in the GTA that can do this. Anyone?

Chemical baths are not an option as those are un-necessary exposure to a witches brew of deadly chemicals. It's ultrasonic or nothing.
 
Valves and maybe pistons will likely fit in a ebay/amazon ultrasonic cleaner ($40 to $200). The cylinder head obviously won't work this way.
 
I clean cylinder heads and other big engine parts at home by first spraying them with WD40 and letting that soak (e.g. overnight) then spraying with Simple Green and hosing them off. If there is major build-up, use a plastic bristle brush at both stages. Dry using compressed air gun then spray any remaining steel parts still attached to the head (valvetrain area) with WD40 to prevent corrosion.

Ultrasonic cleaning would be the deluxe way of doing this, but I don't know anyone who has one. You'll still need to blow the parts dry and spray steel parts with WD40 as above.
 
Whoa - hold it! Do NOT use a metal wire wheel on close-tolerance aluminum parts!

Cylinder head mating surfaces, valve seats, and valve guides must be treated with care. Pistons, too. It's better to dissolve the carbon away and not touch any of those surfaces (or any other machined surface) with anything abrasive. Even Scotch-Brite requires discretion in its use.

If anything, it's better to just leave the carbon there. Clean up mating surfaces to ensure proper gasket seal (using nothing abrasive!) and get any loose carbon off with solvent and a plastic bristle brush manually, but if there is carbon on the top of pistons or inside the combustion chamber (not on the valve seats), just leave it there.

Dealing with internal engine parts is very different from external surfaces that are just cosmetic. Take a little metal off that cover while you are polishing it, and no one will ever know. Take a little metal off a head gasket surface (aside from by machining or surface grinding to maintain flatness) and you'll have an instant blown head gasket.
 
not a metal wire wheel, use a brass one.......

I guess one has to know how to use tools.....I have never had an issue, then again I have been around bikes and a machine shop for most of my adult life...

but your right, too much pressure on an aluminum part and you will remove more than just the carbon or dirt or paint etc.....

I guess not all tools are for everyone.....my bad

.
 
To remove carbon burnt to the glass surface of my cooktop I put baking soda down then a little water until I can make a paste. I then rub the paste into the carbon with my fingertips or with a yellow sponge. It comes right off without scratching. I like a drop of dish soap too to help a lather along but isn't necessary.

I've never tried it on engine parts but I see no reason why it wouldn't work on metal surfaces.

I agree with what was said however. If you can't see it and it doesn't interfere with anything, leave it alone.
 
GateKeeper said:
not a metal wire wheel, use a brass one.......

I guess one has to know how to use tools.....I have never had an issue, then again I have been around bikes and a machine shop for most of my adult life...

but your right, too much pressure on an aluminum part and you will remove more than just the carbon or dirt or paint etc.....

I guess not all tools are for everyone.....my bad

.
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If you are using that on machined surfaces, you aren't using that tool right either
 
Sunspark said:
To remove carbon burnt to the glass surface of my cooktop I put baking soda down then a little water until I can make a paste. I then rub the paste into the carbon with my fingertips or with a yellow sponge. It comes right off without scratching. I like a drop of dish soap too to help a lather along but isn't necessary.

I've never tried it on engine parts but I see no reason why it wouldn't work on metal surfaces.

I agree with what was said however. If you can't see it and it doesn't interfere with anything, leave it alone.
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Glass has higher surface hardness than aluminum. Don't use baking soda - too abrasive.
 
I've been meaning to build an electrolysis rig. It would be good for individual metal pieces. I wouldn't use it on plated metal or welds though.
 
Try Gord Bush Perfomance, of the famous Leitner & Bush Engines that used to be out in Thornhill - had them do some engine work for me on my car, motorbike shouldn't be any different except now his new business is out of Etobicoke.
 
I wasn't expecting answers so fast, thanks guys!

Its a TL-1000R engine. From the factory it would hit redline in 6th so the parts are a better than usual match. Thats why I don't mind going the extra mile on this one. I won't be scrubbing any engine parts to remove carbon. That has the potential to be destructive and I'm doing my best to keep all of the surfaces in scratch free condition.

As I am doing a complete rebuild with top and bottom end disassembly my goal is to check every part to 1/10000th and nuke/replace any anomalies. Why remove carbon? It could affect measurements and – perhaps for OCD reasons – I basically want it looking like new when I put it back together.

I will experiment with s couple of the above chemical applications on exhaust seals. At the same time I may give GBP a call to see if he has or knows someone who has USC capabilities.
 
TheDirty said:
Brass = Metal.
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kellen said:
I lold
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yes.....

but much softer

whatever, we all have our ways of doing things, what works for me might not work for you or anyone else

it was a suggestion and nothing more

I have not come across any issues in doing it my way and I will continue to do so, I have not taken off enough material on any part that I have applied a wire wheel to to make it useless, but they sure all came out nice and clean and ready to be used once again...

your mileage may vary......

take what I have said for what it's worth and nothing more.
 
GateKeeper said:
yes.....

but much softer

whatever, we all have our ways of doing things, what works for me might not work for you or anyone else

it was a suggestion and nothing more

I have not come across any issues in doing it my way and I will continue to do so, I have not taken off enough material on any part that I have applied a wire wheel to to make it useless, but they sure all came out nice and clean and ready to be used once again...

your mileage may vary......

take what I have said for what it's worth and nothing more.
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Dude; these are internal engine components, not the outside of a case cover...you Cant take ANY material off
 
kellen said:
Dude; these are internal engine components, not the outside of a case cover...you Cant take ANY material off
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Dude,,,Thanks, I did read his post, and I have done enough engines, mostly on cars, not so many on bikes, and been around enough engine builders and the likes to know what to do how to do it and what not do do....

As I said, do as you see fit, it was only a suggestion.

valves are made from a hardened steel are they not ? a light run on the wire wheel will do what, nothing that I have ever come across, and once cleaned each valve is lapped back into it's place, at least that's how we do it....


To the OP

Anyways, if your looking for an ultrasonic cleaning solution, I will look up a guy I know, and will get you his info, you can take the parts to him if you would like
 
MagicMark said:
I wasn't expecting answers so fast, thanks guys!

Its a TL-1000R engine. From the factory it would hit redline in 6th so the parts are a better than usual match. Thats why I don't mind going the extra mile on this one. I won't be scrubbing any engine parts to remove carbon. That has the potential to be destructive and I'm doing my best to keep all of the surfaces in scratch free condition.

As I am doing a complete rebuild with top and bottom end disassembly my goal is to check every part to 1/10000th and nuke/replace any anomalies. Why remove carbon? It could affect measurements and – perhaps for OCD reasons – I basically want it looking like new when I put it back together.

I will experiment with s couple of the above chemical applications on exhaust seals. At the same time I may give GBP a call to see if he has or knows someone who has USC capabilities.
Click to expand...

Good luck.. hope Gord can give you the answer you are looking for.
 
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